Trap-nest.



.l. S. HARKINS.

TRAP NEST.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 8, |913.

Patented May 23,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J S. HARKINS. TRAP NEST.

1I IIIIIIIIII APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8,1913.

Patented May 23, `1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

JOI-IN S. HARKINS, OF GREENSBURG, 'RENNSYLVANIILA.A

TRAPNEST.

Specicationof Letters Patent.

Patented May'23, 1916.

Application IedSeptember 8, 19.13. Serial No. 788,705.

is my purposetoprovide a trap nest which will be entirely automatic inoperation and wherein the doors controlling the entrance and eXitopenings will open outwardly Vof the body or `casing of the nestso thatthe entire space within thefcasing or body will.'

be available for nest room.

It is also my purpose to provide a trap nestzwhich will embody,among=other Vfeatures, a body or ,casing having anentrance openingtherein adapted to be .closed by means of a door pivoted horizontally.adjacent to the lower end of the opening and vnormally maintaining 'ahorizontal' open-position to form ya .restor'platform whereby thehenmayenter the bodyand capable of movement to vertical position to closelthe entrance opening succeeding the hen .entering the nest, such bodybeing also formed with an -eXit opening normally closed, yby means of agravity controlled door, means being provided whereby the doorcontrolling the entrance openmg may beheldfin closed position after thehen has left the4 nest, or theexit door held againstopening V,Inovementso that the hen, after entering the nest, will beheld therein. y i

Furthermore, I aimto provide a trapnest which will embrace the desiredfeaturesof simplicity, efciency and durability, one which will beentirely automatic in operation vand one which may be manufacturedandmarketedat a minimum expense.

With the above `and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction,

combination and arrangement ofparts. hereinafterv set forth inandfalllng'withinthe scope of the claim.

Inthe accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a view in front velevation -ofavtrap .nest constructed jin accordance with my present invention. Fig. 2is a vertical longitudinal sectional view therethrough. ,'Fig.,`3 is avertical transverse sectional 74view fof the same. Fig. 4 is aperspective View of the door -c'ontrollingf'the `entrance =opening, la

portion being broken away. Fig-5 is a view in edge elevation of one ofthe linksconnecting the door with the tilting platform of the nest. Fig.6 shows the device for maintaining'the doors of the nest closed.

.Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the numeral 1designates the bodyof the trap nest, suchzbody being preferablycomposedofsheet metal and embody ing top, bottom, side and end wallsappropriatelyiconnected together and forming a bodyfor vcasing ofsubstantially rectangular contour. Passed transversely through thecasing l :adjacent to the rear end and bottom walls `thereof is a shaft2 having the 'opposite ends thereof secured to the opposite side wallsof the casing. Arranged within the casing 1 adjacent to the bottom wallthereof is a horizontal platform 3 having the rear end thereof pivotedupon the shaft .2.50 that the platform may swing or rock ,about 1ahorizontal axis. This .platform Ais preferably -constructed L.of 'sheetmetalLstamped` or cut to anydesired configuration. .Formed .in theAfront wall ofthe casing 1 is 1an entrance opening4 and securedl to theopposite side walls ofthe casing -adj acent to the lower end of thelentrance opening is a horizontal `pivot rod 5.

The numeral -6 designates a door controlling the opening 4 and composedof sheet metal .having 4the .opposite-edges thereof downturned orflanged outwardly as `at l7 and having pivot lugs or ears 8*-8'punchedat Lthevfopposite extremities of onevend edge thereof `and* extendingoutwardly therefrom in a .direction opposite-fromthe flanges 7-7. Thesepivot ears 8 8 receivetherod 5 fso that the door 6 may be swungto openand closedy positionsnvhileth'e inner ends ofthe flanges 7-7 constituteshoulders designed toabut'the front wall ofv the casing below.

The rear A.endfofthe body `lis formed ,with

an .exit opening 10 while arranged ytransversely of the body is a pivotrod 11 disposed ing 10L and suspended from thevpivotrodll is a door 12normally closing the exit open-y ing and maintaining suchr closedposition'vv or platform formed` by the door@ andthen passes through the.entrance openings: onto i the platform 3. r The weight of they heniupon` the 'platform causes thelatter to descend or swing downwardlyy and.in the f downward movement Vof vtheplatformv the vdoor Gis swungupwardly to a substantiallyvertical position to close the door opening4, incident to the link connections between the forward edge oftheplatform and the inner ends of the pivot ears of the door.y The l'nestis thus closed vto the entrance of another hen and when'thehen'within'the nest vdesires to leave lthe same,- such henv passes tothevrear end of the nest,lincident to the light passing through anopening or window 13 inthe exit door 12, and contacts with therear door-thereby swinging the latter about therpivot rod 11 to open posi' tion.After thedoor 12 is relieved of the influencel of the hen, such doorgravitates tolclosed position.r Upon the hen leaving the nest by way ofthe exit opening in the body, -the door' swings downwardly to itsoriginal position, owing to the weight of the hen being removed from theplatformtr- In some instances it may be found 'advisable to maintain thedoor lclosed after thel hen hasj left the-nest, or prevent ythe exitdoor from swinging openwhile the hen isin the nest` andfor thesepurposesI employ a' holding device .comprising-inthe present instance, arod 14l equipped, adja-` cent to its opposite ends, withlegs` 15, 15.

arrangedin parallelism and at 'right angles to the rod. Then it isdesired to hold-the door 6 closed,'the opposite extremitieso'f the rodMare passed through alining open-` ings llformed in the vflanges 7,while the free extremities'ofthe'legs- 15 rest nupon the groundv orother supportv and kso prevent they vreturn of the doortofop'en positionsubse-v quent to the hen leaving the nest. `To'hold the exit door-512against opening `movement low the pivotrod 11. f a

l lIn the present'instance, the forward edge vofthe-] olatforml'isbent-upon'itself to form aretaining flange 18 designedtopreventdisplacement lof the lining of the trap vnest,

i while frear edge of the platform, beyond Copies of vthisfpatentfmay bqobtained vfor;ve;en1::1. ev'achkvbyaddressing-thi;QommiggenergqgWashington, D. C.

,1I-daim:` l A trap nest comprising 'a bodyjhavingV entrance andeXitopenings, a horizontalk the pivot shaft 2, is .formed with anoutwardly projecting shelf19 designed to abut the rear wall-ofthe bodyVof the nest so that the hen may conveniently leave the same. Y'

'In this embodiment of my invention, a hood 20 projects outwardly of thefront wall of,l

the casing or body 1 and vsurrounds theen-` trancey openingftherein andhas the outer edges of the opposite side walls thereof inclined inwardlyand preferably lined with felt 21, as clear-ly illustrated iniFig2 ofthedrawings, so that the'door 6 will effectivelyl close the entranceopening.

From' t'he'foregoing descriptiontaken in connection with thelaccompanying-drawing, theconstruction, mode of'operation and..4 ,Y f

v readily apparent-It `will be seen-that jIy manner of employing my.invention'will be have provided a trap nest which 'is entirely'automatic inoperation, onevwhich the hen,A

-under ordinary conditions, may lenter and lone preferred form ofmyinventmnv byway of illustration, IY wishV it to lbe understood that Ido not limit orconne myself to the precise details of constructionherein described and delineated, as modificationland variation may bemade withinl'the seopeofv the claim 'without ,departingfrom the yspiritoflthein'vention. l

platform pivoted within said body and capable of swinging movement aboutla'vv horizontal axis, yaldoory for said' entrance opening pivotedadjacent 'to its 'lower end for swinging movement to` open and'closed`positions, flanges formed 'on the sidev edges of said ,door vandprojecting Voutwardly' therefrom at right angles theretoA `hay ing theinner ends *thereof in vengagement with the front'wall of the body belowthey l inlet -openingto rlimit the swinging movement of the door to.open positicn"and-main-l` tain thev samel in a horizontal rplane' whenopen, a' connection between Said-Platform,

and saiddoor whereby thedownward mover ment OffSaid platformun'der theweightofv a Ihen will closethe door, and door closing?. f e* 1. 120

said exit opening. f

i In testimony whereof I aiiix my inthe presence of two witnesses.

' JOI-IN S'.

signature -Witnesses: Y e

. SEDAN. Ik n l I R-VF; THoMAs:Y v

-loof

